The performance netted Scherzer his 18th win — he is now 18-1 — and the home run was Cabrera’s 40th. Scherzer fanned four Kansas City hitters and issued no walks, throwing 76 of his 110 pitches for strikes. He owns a 2.82 ERA, 0.90 WHIP and 185/38 K/BB ratio in 172 1/3 innings this season and is in the hunt for the American League Cy Young Award with guys like Felix Hernandez, Yu Darvish and Chris Sale.

Cabrera, meanwhile, is looking for a second straight American League MVP Award and he has a decent shot at back-to-back Triple Crowns. The 30-year-old slugger boasts a lead in batting average (.360) over Mike Trout (.332) and in RBI (120) over Chris Davis (115). Cabrera trails Davis (45) in home runs by five.

The Tigers are 73-51 with a growing lead in the AL Central and the best run differential (+155) in the majors.